Think thin! Small case/cooling suggestions for Haswell

[Ken g6]

Now that Haswell is out, I'm looking at putting together a build around it in the next 2-4 weeks. I have a general idea about most of the hardware, but cases and cooling are not my thing.

Case:

• Need 16.5" (length) x 7.25" (width) or less. Height doesn't really matter, but small is nice. Up to 8.5" wide is acceptable if the case has feet at least 1cm high that fit the 7.25" width.
• Need to accept at least one 3.5" drive, one 2.5" SSD, and one DVD drive. Would like space for at least two 3.5" drives and a 5.25" DVD drive with the SSD.
• Need space for at least one single-slot low-profile card. Would like space for two video cards if possible. One can be my single-slot low-profile GT430. But an ITX case would be acceptable.
• Would like the video card section to be bumped in, rather than have the tabs sticking out. My current case has the tabs stick out. The problem is that, when inserting a large video card, I can't easily get both the tabs at the bottom of the video card past the motherboard and get the side tab past the edge of the case and into the section where it sticks out. This has twice led me to scratch motherboards with the tabs at the bottom of my GTX 460 video card, and is the primary reason I want a new case. But, if the case doesn't accept big, dual-slot video cards, this might not be an issue.
• Should be portable. Carrying handle, maybe?
• Would like at least half of the top (7-8") to be flat and not an air vent. But this may be negotiable.
• Would like to pay $100 or less. Could pay more, but wouldn't like to.
• Would like a positive-pressure case with an easily cleanable intake filter. But I've lived with the opposite of that (negative pressure, no filter) without too much trouble.
• It would be nice if case accepted a standard ATX PSU. But I wouldn't mind too much if it doesn't.
• Noise dampening would be nice, but isn't a big concern.
• Will buy from Micro Center or any well-known online retailer.

...And cooling
I'm planning to get an i7-4770k, overclock it, and run it continuously at full load for distributed computing. I'd like suggestions for the best air-cooling systems to do this that will fit in the case described above. I realize the small case size may limit my options. I don't want water cooling because (1) it's inefficient, and (2) there will be periods in the summer when I don't run the processor hard to keep the room cool. I'd like screws, preferably with a backplate, and not clips. I'm considering buying this from Micro Center and having them install it because I hate installing thermal paste. Also, de-lidding is not gonna happen.

The best case I've seen so far is:
Fractal Design Core 1000 micro-ATX 16.54x6.89": http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811352009
But it's discontinued and doesn't support a lot of drives.

The second-best case I've seen so far is:
SilverStone PS08B micro-ATX 6.61" x 14" x 15.75": http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811163223
But it has the graphics card tabs sticking out.

I also think Haswell may need better cooling than either of these can provide.

So, what do you all suggest? Or did anyone make it through all of that?

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Core 1000, mod front for 2 120mm

like this

there is a new version of the core 1000 out

or get a small ITX like the SG05

 

[Ken g6]

Just because it's the best case I've seen doesn't mean it's the best case out there for me: I haven't seen a lot of cases. Problems with the Core 1000:

- Not enough drives with a video card in there. (1x3.5", 1x2.5". I'd like at least 2x3.5")
- Airflow, maybe. Did I mention that cable management would be nice?

The SG05 might work if I could sit it on its side, but then the slimline optical drive wouldn't work very well. Unless I got an external USB drive. Hm. Edit: It has the same "number of drives" problem.

 

[dma0991]

Fractal Node 304 if you wouldn't mind going with an mITX sized motherboard. It will still support 4 HDDs with a single GPU, 6 HDDs if no GPUs. No 5.25" bay though, don't see much use in having an optical drive anyway these days. I don't even use them anymore and if I needed, I would've gone with an USB external slim optical drive.

 

[Ken g6]

Fractal Node 304 dimensions: 9.84" x 8.27" x 14.72". Too big! (I think the 9.84 is the bottom width, and the side doesn't have feet, does it?)

 

[dma0991]

You win some, you lose some unless you're willing to spend time or money on a custom case. There's Silverstone SG03-F which meets closer to your requirement but its an old model which might be difficult to find. SSDs shouldn't be taken into consideration since its 2.5 size is small and can be mounted anywhere in the case with double sided tape.

 

[Ken g6]

Hm, I didn't really like any of the options presented here, so I started going through the AnandTech case reviews. And I found:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6798/rosewill-line-m-case-review-wherefore-art-thou-microatx

Five slots, all 120mm fans, and enough space to install a Hyper 212 Evo. (And the difference between 7.25" width and 7.29" width is too small to notice.)

Given that there is enough space to install a 212 Evo, do you think that's the best cooler for me? Or is there a better one I don't know about?

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Hyper212 would be the best.

 

[aigomorla]

The 2 cases u listed is fine with a hyper220 on the 4770.
The non K has no overclocking, so your not going to exceed the hyper's capacity...
i was thinking u were venturing off in the ITX catigory.

 

[Ken g6]

The non K has no overclocking, so your not going to exceed the hyper's capacity...

Fixed. I am getting the K.

i was thinking u were venturing off in the ITX catigory.

It's still an option if I can find a good thin case that'll hold two 3.5" HDDs. But that Rosewill does look nice.